Products, packages and delivery

Products, packages and delivery

Inventory setup records describe what you stock, how it is packed, and which delivery rules apply to it. Product packaging records describe a product's contained quantity and barcode. Package types describe the size, weight, and capacity of a shipping container. Packages collect products for movement, while barcode nomenclatures and zip prefixes help interpret scans and delivery coverage.

The setup records include products, variants, lots and serial numbers, packaging, package types, delivery data, units of measure, shipping methods, zip prefixes, and barcode nomenclatures. These records support the movement of goods through transfers and delivery work.

Before you start

Before you maintain these records, decide which record type you need and collect the information that belongs to it. Product packaging requires a product and a contained quantity. A package type uses dimensions, weight, and an optional barcode. A package uses a package reference and can contain product quantities. A barcode nomenclature uses a name, a UPC/EAN conversion choice, and its rules. A zip prefix uses a prefix.

Prerequisites

Product unit-of-measure fields appear only for users in the relevant unit-of-measure group. Company fields appear according to multi-company access. Storage-category capacity appears only when storage categories are enabled for the relevant group. Package owner, lot or serial, and unit-of-measure details also depend on their respective access groups.

Find a record

Use the Inventory menu to reach the maintenance list. Choose the destination that matches the record you need, then use the fields available on that list to locate an existing record. The Packages list can search by package name, location, or package type and can group results by location or package type.

Prerequisites

• You know which record type you need.
• You have access to the corresponding Inventory destination.

Steps

1. Open Inventory.

2. Open the destination that matches your task.

   If you need to…	Open
   Maintain product-level packaging	Product Packagings under Products
   Maintain shipping-container dimensions and weight	Package Types under Delivery
   Inspect products collected for movement	Packages under Inventory products
   Maintain barcode interpretation rules	Barcode Nomenclatures under Products
   Maintain a delivery area prefix	Zip Prefix under Delivery

3. In Packages, enter a package name, location, or package type in the matching search field.

4. Group Packages by Location or Package Type when you need to review records together.

For product variants, lots or serial numbers, units of measure, shipping methods, or carriers, open the relevant product, warehouse, or delivery administration destination before maintaining that record.

Result: The selected list or form is open, and Packages can be narrowed by package name, location, or package type.

Understand the maintenance screens

Each maintenance screen starts with the record identity and then supplies the values that describe its packaging, container, contents, or delivery rule. Work from the labels and columns visible on the screen.

Product Packagings can use an inline list that is editable at the bottom. Package Types can contain an inline Storage Category Capacity list with Storage category and Quantity. Packages provide Unpack and Package Transfers actions on a saved package.

After you open a Zip Prefix record, use the fields shown on that form.

The Packages list and kanban views identify packages with their display name, Package Type, and Location. Package Types list Height, Width, Length, Max Weight, and Barcode alongside the name. Barcode Nomenclatures show their name in the list and expose the conversion and rule areas on the form.

Maintain inventory and delivery records

Use these procedures to create or update the five record types listed below.

Maintain product packaging

Product packaging identifies how many units a product contains in a particular package and can carry a packaging barcode.

Prerequisites

• You know the product and the contained quantity.
• You know the packaging name and any barcode.

Steps

1. Open Product Packagings.
2. Select an existing packaging record or start a new record from the list.
3. In Packaging, enter the packaging name.
4. In Product, select the product.
5. In Contained quantity, enter the number of product units in the packaging.
6. In Barcode, enter the packaging barcode when one is assigned.
7. Use the inline list when you need to update a row directly in the list.

Result: The product packaging record contains its product, packaging name, contained quantity, and any barcode entered.

Maintain a package type

A package type describes the physical container used for delivery, including its dimensions, weight, maximum shippable weight, and barcode.

Prerequisites

• You know the package type name, dimensions, and weight.
• You know whether the package type needs a barcode or storage-category capacity.

Steps

1. Open Package Types.
2. Select an existing package type or start a new record from the list.
3. In Name, enter the package type name.
4. In Height, enter the container height.
5. In Width, enter the container width.
6. In Length, enter the container length.
7. In Weight, enter the base weight.
8. In Max Weight, enter the maximum weight shippable in the container.
9. In Barcode, enter the package type barcode when one is assigned.
10. In Storage Category Capacity, add a row when this area is available.
11. In Storage category, select the storage category.
12. In Quantity, enter the capacity for that category.

Result: The package type contains its dimensions, weight values, barcode, and any storage category capacity rows you entered.

Maintain a package

A package collects product quantities for movement and can be moved as one package or unpacked into individual units.

Prerequisites

• You know the package reference.
• You have the package type, location, pack date, and content information available.

Steps

1. Open Packages.
2. Select an existing package or start a new package from the list.
3. In Package Reference, enter the package reference.
4. In Package Type, select the package type.
5. In Location, select the location when the field is available.
6. Enter a date in Pack Date.
7. Review Content.
8. In each content row, review Product, Lot/serial number, Quantity, and Product unit of measure.
9. Select Package Transfers when you need to review transfers associated with the package.
10. Select Unpack when you need to release the contents as individual units.

When Unpack completes, the application reports Quantities unpacked.

Result: The package record shows its reference, type, location, pack date, and content, or its contents have been unpacked.

Maintain a barcode nomenclature

A barcode nomenclature defines how barcodes are recognized and categorized. Its rules are checked in sequence, and a matching rule interprets the barcode.

Prerequisites

• You know the nomenclature name and the required UPC/EAN conversion choice.
• You have the rules and their patterns available.

Steps

1. Open Barcode Nomenclatures.
2. Select an existing nomenclature or start a new record from the list.
3. In Barcode Nomenclature, enter the nomenclature name.
4. In UPC/EAN Conversion, select the conversion choice.
5. In Rules, add or review the rule rows.
6. For each rule, enter Sequence, Name, Type, Encoding, and Pattern.

When the list is empty, it can display Add a new barcode nomenclature.

Result: The barcode nomenclature contains its name, conversion choice, and ordered rules.

Maintain a zip prefix

A zip prefix is a delivery-area prefix assigned to a delivery carrier to restrict where the carrier is available.

Prerequisites

• You know the delivery prefix.
• You have access to the Zip Prefix destination.

Steps

1. Open Zip Prefix.
2. Select an existing prefix or start a new record from the list.
3. In Prefix, enter the delivery prefix.

The list describes this area with Manage delivery zip prefixes. It also explains that Delivery zip prefixes are assigned to delivery carriers to restrict which zips it is available to.

Result: The Zip Prefix record contains the delivery prefix.

Handle configuration-dependent fields

Some fields appear only when your access and company configuration allow them. Use the following branches instead of looking for the same fields on every account.

Prerequisites

• You know which company and access groups apply to your work.
• You are viewing the relevant maintenance form.

Steps

1. Check whether the product unit-of-measure field is available before using it.
2. Check whether Company is available when you work in a multi-company setup.
3. Check whether Storage Category Capacity is available on Package Types.
4. Check whether Owner is available on Packages.
5. Check whether Lot/serial number is available in Package Content.
6. Check whether Product unit of measure is available in Package Content.
7. If a destination is absent from the menu, ask an administrator to review the access group for that destination.

Result: You use the fields available for your company and access configuration without creating duplicate records to compensate for a hidden field.

When validation or access goes wrong

Use the exact message on screen to choose the correction. The validation messages below come from packaging and package-type rules.

If the Packages route opens the application menu instead of Packages, use the Inventory menu path in Find a record and open Packages from there. The route that landed on the application menu was /web#action=apps_menu.

The application menu displayed Menu Style, Font Type, Preloader Option, Theme Colors, Brand Color, Background Color, Sidebar Color, and Chatter Position, together with Save and Reset To Default. These controls belong to the shell's personalization area, not to package maintenance.

Continue the inventory flow

Packages connect setup records to the movement of goods. Packages are usually created through transfers during the packing operation and can contain different products. After creation, the whole package can be moved at once, or its products can be unpacked and moved as individual units.

Prerequisites

• You have finished maintaining the record relevant to the next inventory operation.
• You know whether the next action is a transfer, warehouse configuration task, overview review, or report.

Steps

1. Select Package Transfers when you need to review the transfers associated with a package.

2. Select Unpack when the products must move as individual units.

3. Open the page that matches your next task.

   If you need to…	Open
   Continue transfer work	Inventory transfers and returns
   Continue warehouse configuration	Warehouses and replenishment
   Return to the operational hub	Inventory Overview
   Review movement and valuation information	Inventory reporting

The empty Packages list can display Create a new package, followed by guidance that Packages are usually created via transfers (during pack operation) and can contain different products. It also explains that Once created, the whole package can be moved at once, or products can be unpacked and moved as single units again.

Result: You have a direct next step for package movement, warehouse configuration, inventory overview, or inventory reporting.